About GAIN

Rationale

Designing and improving development strategies that stimulate growth, create jobs and enhance social inclusion within a green economy are urgent, as already stated in different global summits and portrayed in clauses such as the Rio+250 Outcome document “The Future We Want”, the 2030 Agenda, and the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Accordingly, there is increased interest from ILO constituents to reshape economic and labour policies to maximise the employment opportunities of the transition to a green economy. In turn, this must be underpinned by sound and evidence-based relevant policy research and analysis advice.

In this context, a myriad of questions arise: How are green jobs defined? How are they measured within current statistical approaches? Which economic sectors offer greatest opportunities? What evidence exists that national green economy initiatives are creating more jobs? What are the needs for skills and human capacity? What are the trade-offs and which transitional arrangements are needed in labour markets?

In order to foster the capacity of countries in answering these and designing evidence-based green policy strategies, GAIN arises as a very useful network for identifying options and opportunities to promote decent work through environmental actions, providing solutions-focused empirical research to inform policy making processes. Additionally, this intends to fill a clear institutional and capacity gap for green jobs related assessments, particularly in developing and low-income countries.

Objectives

GAIN aims to provide a common pool of expertise at both institutional and individual level, in order to enable national governments and other ILO constituents to access and utilize a research and advisory capacity for country-level assessments and subsequent policy making.

The two specific objectives of GAIN are as follows:
  1. To build and improve knowledge on quantitative and analytical methodologies and tools relevant for the assessment of employment dimensions of greening policies.
  2. To share knowledge and build capacity for country assessments as well as regional and global assessments by involving partner institutions.

Indicative products and services

Through activities outlined above, GAIN aims to achieve the following results:
  • Enhanced capacity of research institutions participating in the Network,
  • The elaboration of tools (a guide, for instance) for assessment of green jobs,
  • Improved assessments and assessment methods,
  • A series of high quality assessment reports,
  • Extended outreach of research products by Network member